The GOP is pursuing its longtime dream of privatizing the US Postal Service.

[mac56]

I wrote this a while back; it seems relevant again.


"USPS employs more than 574,000 workers and operates more than 218,000 vehicles. It’s the second-largest employer in the United States after Wal-Mart, and the operator of the largest vehicle fleet in the world. Are there really Americans out there who are too damn stupid to realize the impact on their lives if the second-largest employer in the US goes out of business?"


https://namebrandketchup.com/2012/11/28/let-us-now-praise-the-united-states-postal-service/

[durablend]

1. Of course they are

No time like during a crisis (and a possible vote-by-mail election) to get it done.

[DENVERPOPS]

55. To say nothing

of being able to obliterate a huge union.........

[Newest Reality]

2. Tip of the GOP/Trump iceberg...

and we are on the Titanic, and, oh, what's that loud scraping sound????

[customerserviceguy]

3. And just what is that large vehicle fleet doing?

Pissing away fuel needed to haul the garbage known as junk mail all over the country.

Let the junk mailers pay the costs of polluting the country.

[Midnight Writer]

4. And earning livable wages and benefits for hundreds of thousands of families.

And is the only Federal agency that actually pays into the US Treasury instead of taking money out.

[customerserviceguy]

14. If they're paying into the US Treasury

then why are they asking for a bailout?

Yes, postal workers do earn good wages and benefits. But we might have said that once upon a time about stagecoach drivers and buggy whip makers.

Maybe the solution is to keep paying them those wages, and have them deliver mail only three times a week instead of six. And have the price of sending junk mail go up to finance it. After my generation dies off, there will be very few people getting and paying bills the old fashioned way, it's a good thing for the postal workers that their retirements are well funded.

[Midnight Writer]

20. They need a bailout precisely because they are paying into the US Treasury.

Remember the "Trump Guidelines for the Corona Virus"? The Postal Service delivered that free of charge, as they are required to under the law. Along with mandated discounts for non-profits, churches, libraries, free material for the blind, discounts for periodicals and newspapers, discounts for military serving overseas.

In addition, they are mandated by law to prepay retirement and health care benefits for all of their employees as well as any potential future employees 75 years in advance, a requirement no other business is held to.

Also, the Postal Service is an equal opportunity employer, providing jobs at equal pay for women, minorities, and the disabled. It is the country's number one employer of disabled veterans, who actually get preferential hiring consideration.

[customerserviceguy]

24. Maybe some of those discounts shouldn't be happening, either

I never read mail from non-profits, churches or libraries. If I want to know what's at my local library, I go to their website.

And the "free material for the blind" is an anachronism, from the time when visual impairment was pretty much the only disability that the government recognized. We still have a tax code that reflects it, while ignoring all other sorts of disability.

By the way, thanks for spotlighting a particularly odious piece of junk mail, used by the would-be dictator as free campaign advertising.

[mr_lebowski]

76. Wow. Really?

Post Office is just doing their job. Pretty weak IMHO to act like they're doing something wrong just because you don't like the mail you receive.

Letting the USPS be privatized would be a horrible tragedy, not to mention a violation of the US Constitution.

The very fact that it's a right-wing wet dream should tell you something, but ... guess not.

[customerserviceguy]

77. I never said they were doing anything wrong

They're just burdened with the trash that low mailing rates foist upon them. And I never called for privatization of the USPS, just simply that some discounts need to be revisited.

Is living an ecologically sound life, free of junk mail that takes fossil fuels to move, forests to cut down to print it, and has no use but to heap in a landfill sound like a right-wing wet dream to you?

[mr_lebowski]

78. Fair enough but your overall tone sounded like you didn't much care for the work they're doing

Twas a curious tangent to go off on, given the subject of the thread.

Glad to hear I did not perceive your position correctly

[customerserviceguy]

80. It seems

that almost everyone here who I discuss the idea of raising the postage rates on junk mail has concluded that I want to do away with the USPS or privatize it. Trump spouts off some crap, and you're either against him completely, or it is concluded that you're with him. Anyone with a different answer to the question, "To subsidize or not?" is viewed with deep suspicion, apparently.

[mr_lebowski]

81. Ya kinda came in like the proverbial bull in the china shop there to bring up your point ...

Not criticizing, I'm sure I've done the same when I felt strongly about something.

Just saying that maybe has contributed to people interpreting you ... as you say they do.

Yes, postal workers do earn good wages and benefits. But we might have said that once upon a time about stagecoach drivers and buggy whip makers.

Kinda comes off like you're saying 'screw 'em their jobs are obsolete' ... do you see how it could be taken that way?

[customerserviceguy]

82. Good point. n/t

[mr_lebowski]

83. And for the record, I don't disagree with the point you were intending to make ...

It's actually one of a number of things that's unfairly undermining the viability of the USPS (and contributing to ACC), courtesy of our 'friends' on the other side of the aisle in most cases.

Cheers mate

[ashredux]

35. Hmm...you really have no idea of the purpose of the USPS

[customerserviceguy]

39. Whatever purpose

it had two hundred years ago, that purpose has changed.

Is the purpose to rape the environment for the sake of selling overpriced underperforming crap? If so, then mission accomplished.

[LiberalArkie]

49. And it delivers the last few miles for UPS and Fedex and other shipping companies.

[DENVERPOPS]

71. Good one LA

Except it isn't just the last few miles, it's all over RURAL, BumF*** America......The worst case being all the 500-1000 tiny towns spread out all over Alaska......Fedex and UPS dump EVERYTHING into Anchorage or Fairbanks USPS terminals and then the USPS has to deliver it from there........

And congress many years ago passed a law that all these remote villages in Alaska with their little grocery and supply stores, could have their stuff shipped in by the U.S. Postal Service, as could the citizens of Alaska. The price paid to the USPS for this service? One pallet, not over 1000 pounds, dropped off to a USPS terminal in Seattle for instance, gets shipped anywhere in Alaska by the USPS for a hundred bucks.......
Everything, all over Alaska, is shipped by air freight which is outrageously expensive......
Small wonder the Alaskans are a deep Red state...........

If the Republicons succeed in giving the entire delivery service, including mail, over to Fedex and UPS, then all of the MAGATS who are so rah rah Trump will get it right up their collective asses. Those idiots first class letters will jump from half a buck to fifteen bucks, and they should forget about getting their packages delivered.
The only humor I see is that they are not only so dumb they vote for ANY Republicon, but they are extra super stupid in not seeing how their beloved Republicon Party is raping them even worse than the Dems......

The Republicons are a MILLIMETER away from their cabal driven Coup of installing a Corporate Fascist Tyranny.
Bend over Americans in the lower 99%..............

WASF

[LiberalArkie]

73. I know, I live there. Right out in the Ouachita National Forest.

Used to be on Rural Route 2 with a mail box of 175X, Before that it was GD at Williams Junction General Store.

They really want to sell it and it would refuse carriage to any other rural delivery service company.

Most rural people love the US MAIL.

[DENVERPOPS]

74. And the

Rural, Trumphumping idiots don't even see the carnage that the Republicans are reigning down on them....

It's laughable.......AND bewildering to watch, day after day after day..........

[LiberalArkie]

75. Unless Fox News tells them, they will blame the post office for not picking up the mail or

delivering any. They will come down from their meth or alcohol and drive to the post office and find it closed. They will not blame saint Donald, it has to be those *&^%&^&&(* liberal Democraps that did it.

[ahoysrcsm]

79. Congressman, I implore you to pass the Constitutional Amendment that will end the US Postal Service.

We count on you in Washington to pass Amendments that will better the United States of America.

[Rebl2]

38. EXACTLY!

They make them pay into treasury money for future retirees like 75 years into the future. Ridiculous!!! What business does this-none. The rest of the government DOES NOT DO THIS!!!

[DENVERPOPS]

70. There are a whole big bunch

of things that the Republicons have done to the USPS to hamstring them and to try to bankrupt them so that Fedex and UPS could swoop in......The Republicons are a millimeter away from a Corporate Fascist Tyranny....

And, it's horrific to watch, but they are turning a pandemic into a ton of money making opportunities, while at the same time blowing off any responsibility or help for the citizens of the U.S.

[ZZenith]

8. Never miss a chance to push right-wing memes, "customerserviceguy."

[customerserviceguy]

9. So

Opposition to junk mail is a right wing meme? Show me a link to any RW website that advocates that position.

[ZZenith]

11. Talk to the hand.

[customerserviceguy]

17. Because

it's open, and the mind is closed?

[denbot]

13. This!

[customerserviceguy]

18. I ask you the same question

Can you show me where a RW website advocates raising postage rates for junk mail?

Maybe you're happy with millions of gallons of fuel being spent to deliver dead-tree garbage that will just end up in a landfill, all subsidized by the rest of us.

[mac56]

19. That's your takeaway from this?

"Junk mail" cancels out everything else the USPS does well?

Good lord.

[customerserviceguy]

21. If it weren't the vast majority of the mail flow

maybe not. It seems like the USPS is in business mostly to haul around garbage.

All I advocate is that junk mailers pay the lion's share of the cost of maintaining the USPS. If that means that deliveries are cut to three times a week, I have no problem with that. I'm sure that the people whose lives are immensely brightened by getting this week's Bed, Bath and Beyond coupon would disagree with me.

[Girard442]

28. If you think the USPS is losing money on bulk mail, then yes they should raise rates.

Are they?

[customerserviceguy]

32. Bulk rates

mean that junk mailers can flood the USPS with tons of paper, all cut from forests somewhere. There goes your carbon sequestration. And then, it's hauled around in vehicles that burn fossil fuels.

If the USPS needs a bailout, then they're not charging enough for the services they provide, it's simple economics. Anybody whose cost of business is more than revenue brought in is going to go broke eventually. We can argue about where costs should be raised, but anything that would stem the flow of junk mail would be a good thing for the environment, right?

[Girard442]

33. Call the airlines and the cruise lines with your ideas.

Clearly, they also need to charge their customers more to keep going.

[customerserviceguy]

36. Good point

Flying across the entire country for a couple hundred dollars is dirt cheap. As for the cruise lines, the Navy can use their empty vessels for target practice for all I care. After the nightmare scenes of desperate people stuck on board a disease boat, not knowing when they'll escape their hell, I expect cruise lines to be cut back drastically.

And while times were good, both businesses were making money, especially the cruise lines. I don't recall any government subsidy going to them, besides not having to pay taxes to the US on foreign-flagged vessels.

[Girard442]

40. I see how this works, Whoever posts last wins,

So all you have to do to win is respond to this completely pointless post.

[moose65]

56. Do you have any proof of your claim

The vast majority of mail flow is junk? Any proof of that?

[DENVERPOPS]

60. Hey Moose

Look in your mailbox everyday......Our mailbox everyday is about 90-95% unsolicited crap.

[customerserviceguy]

66. Look at your own mailbox

Unless you simply don't use online billing and payment, I'd bet the vast majority of it by weight is unsolicited crap mail. Go to any post office, and look for the trash bin by the PO boxes. Every day, they're filled with unwanted junk.

[moose65]

72. So in other words....

No, you don’t have any proof.

Do you get packages from Amazon? Or from FedEx or UPS? Chances are, some or most of that is delivered by the Postal Service.

[moose65]

84. And for the record...

the day you told me to "look at my own mail," I received two packages that were shipped via USPS; my monthly power bill; a new credit card replacing my expired one; a magazine; and one unsolicited piece of junk mail.

[CurtEastPoint]

22. my thought, exactly.

[bluecollar2]

50. +100...n/t

[Qutzupalotl]

12. Also delivering ballots in vote-by-mail states

Which would be a great alternative to touchscreens in a pandemic.

Trump knows he’d lose a fair election, that’s part of why he’s killing the P.O.

[customerserviceguy]

67. The USPS needs to be there

All we're arguing about is who is going to pay the bills for it. I'm surprised that no one here besides me considers junk mail to be an ecological nightmare that we subsidize.

[underpants]

52. The rest of the Federal government

They buy a butt load of vehicles every year.

[brewens]

5. "Donald Trump Wants To Take Away Your Mail Service" in deep campaign commercial voice.

Then show footage of the friendliest, most cheerful mail carriers, chatting with old folks, giving dogs treats, and bringing packages in the snow wearing Santa hats. The commercials write themselves.

[elleng]

6. Privatizing to get rid of employee unions.

[SergeStorms]

57. And paying the 'privatized' employees....

a fraction of what a postal carrier makes now. Walmart wages..... the goal of every republican in the United States.

[SheltieLover]

7. K&R +1000

Mail in ballots...

[Alex4Martinez]

10. Also, ending Social Security. TRUMP: end the payroll tax PERMANENTLY.

Over and over this week, his words.

[brewens]

15. How many Trump worshippers are in their workforce? Don't veterans get an advantage on the

civil service exam to get those jobs? I don't really have a problem with that, at least not for the people that appreciate it. It is a form of affirmative action after all.

[stillcool]

25. Trump worshippers, veterans, and affirmative action..

what do they have to do with destroying the U.S.P.S.? Sounds like wrong church, wrong pew.

[brewens]

42. Just thinking that Trump will lose some support over this. Lots of vets work for the USPS.

Veterans tend to vote republican. I was also just throwing in that those conservatives don't mind getting and advantage in getting a good job when it's them getting the job. Trump may once again have to back off this one.

[DTomlinson]

16. GOP is evil.

[Haggis for Breakfast]

23. As we have seen time and again with this administration,

you KNOW he has no plan in place - even if this was a feasible, practical, sensible idea (which is isn't) - to make such a radical change in how we deal with mail service, that is well-thought out, thoroughly researched and ready to go.

This administration has had no plan in place since day one. For anything. From nuclear energy to land management to tort reform.
Everything with these people is knee-jerk, reactive, shoot-from-the-hip chaos. Band aids on broken legs type of mentality.

They thought they could waltz in and privatize the VA, too. NOT happening. NEVER happening. The VSOs of America will not tolerate this. Neither will veterans. The trio of Mar-a-loco "experts," Ike Perlmutter, Bruce Moskowitz and Marc Sherman (None of which have any experience in running a medical leviathan like the VA. Perlmutter is the CEO of Marvel Comics. Moskowitz is a physician in West Palm Beach with a very small and outdated practice. Sherman is an attorney.) tried to do everything they could to make this a reality. They had a coordinated attack plan with the Koch Brothers to destroy the VA. There were political appointees also trying to undermine and damage the entire agency. They have sowed nothing but destruction, inertia and counter-productive policy, frequently not even in step with the WH. What have they accomplished for veterans ?

Not one damn thing.

I do not see anything in their history or behavior that makes me think this will not also be a colossal clusterfuck.

SUPPORT THE USPS.

[jorgevlorgan]

26. grand old psychos

[OnDoutside]

27. And yet again, Red Rural States will suffer more than others, ironically.

[Girard442]

29. Those people are the cannon fodder in Trump's war on everything.

You'd think at least some of them would figure it out.

[OnDoutside]

43. Low information in, poor results out. I guess it's only when they

experience a direct kick between the legs, that it offers an opportunity to learn. Not to say that they take the chance to learn. It's quite sad were it not for the fact that their vote affects your life

[SergeStorms]

59. Guns, god and gays.

Throw abortion in there and you've got the same fear mongering platform the GOP has used for the past 40 years. Red-meat issues are what's kept rural Americans voting against their own self-interests for that same 40 years. I just wish they'd wake up, but the GOP uses fear to control them every time.

[Guilded Lilly]

30. The GOP isn't stupid, it wants to profit from and control ...

Who benefits by what means and how information gets delivered. Including votes. Especially votes.

[DENVERPOPS]

58. And, just as important

deliver a huge Gov't business to privatized Fedex and UPS.......... Destroy a HUGE Union, etc etc etc

This is a win, win, win that just keeps on winning more and more for the Fascist Republican Tyranny.....

WASF

[TheReckoning]

31. Trump-voting regions will be the hardest hit

Rural areas voted overwhelmingly for Trump -- my rural VA county went 70-30 for Trump.

Collapse of the USPS will hit rural areas the hardest . . . because servicing rural areas is a money-loser. If the USPS collapses, rural post offices will close and the for-profit corporation that takes over will charge exorbitant, unaffordable rates to serve rural areas.

And Trumpsters will blame Democrats.

[bucolic_frolic]

34. With no plan in sight and late summer deadlines

what will happen if it shuts down? No mail delivery, no USPS packages. No advertising, junk mail. Unemployment for USPS workers, and their fleet idle. Stamps worthless, or unusable for the short term. Pretty massive impact.

Trump needs to think this one through. LOL.

TrumpMail

[randr]

37. They lust for all the prime property we all own

[econron]

41. Lets Really Be Honest

The Republicans have privatized DEMOCRACY ...

Citizens United
All the Outsourcing
Science, who needs science?
Data only matters when we need it
Deficits don't matter when we are in control

History Won't Be Kind to Us

[DENVERPOPS]

61. Yes, yes, yes

and that is why I call them RepubliCONS...........

Privatize the profits, publicize the costs.......

[econron]

68. And socialize the Risk Republicons

[kyburbonkid]

44. Repubicans hate Bengamin Franklin again

Well what can you say; the US Post Office was created the founder Benjamin Franklin, so what did you expect a freaking bunch wingnut goons to do???? go play tiddly-winks??? Assholes are assholes for life from my experience.

[diva77]

45. I'll be calling all my congresspeople on Monday to remind them of how invaluable USPS is.

I also want to find out what more can be done immediately to preserve it.

If vote-by-mail were to be contracted to private carriers imagine having a rethuglican contractor hauling your precious ballots around.

[tinrobot]

46. Imagine people like the Kochs running the post office.

Postal workers now get minimum wage, the price of stamps goes through the roof...

And every two years, ballots from blue districts mysteriously go missing.

[DENVERPOPS]

62. Or, more likely

No postal service, Fedex and UPS charging 15 bucks for a first class letter, Rural postal delivery once a week or once a month and 30 bucks for a first class letter.

Hell, Fedex and UPS drop 15-20% of their packages on the USPS already, because it is cheaper than them having to deliver the packages themselves to Rural Addresses.

[Thekaspervote]

47. Looks like I'm the only one to suggest not. Yes, the gop wants to get rid of the USPS

If you recall bushII did his bidding to end the USPS following his 2nd term, not right b4. The gop know this is an election loser, dotard will be forced to back away.

YES..still call... sign petitions and keep the pressure on

[oswaldactedalone]

48. Consider buying a sheet or book of stamps

this week or next as a show of support for the USPS. Then consider mailing something with them.

[B Stieg]

51. I still do most of my bills by mail

so I buy stamps often and I support the USPS!

[videohead5]

53. Congress will never

Agree to privatize the USPS.

[DENVERPOPS]

63. I wished that were true

Maybe you should study the last three years a little more.

I could make a list a mile long of the times I have said: "they can't do that" only to be proven wrong......

[underpants]

54. BTW - the Grumman. LLV - th workhorse of the USPS. Most large from 1994

Talk about good purchasing and maintenance

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grumman_LLV

The Grumman Long Life Vehicle (LLV) is an American light transport truck model, designed as a mail truck for the United States Postal Service, which is its primary user. It is also used by Canada Post.

As its name suggests, the Grumman LLV is easily capable of a long life, perhaps approaching 20 years of operation. The lifespan specified by the U.S. Postal Service was 24 years, but in 2009 this was extended to 30 years.

Because the United States Postal Service owns over 100,000 Grumman LLVs, of which the oldest are reaching the end of their lifespan, the USPS has been looking into replacing or retrofitting the LLVs. In fiscal year 2009, the USPS spent $524 million to repair its fleet of Grumman LLVs, and estimated that it would cost $4.2 billion to replace the entire fleet.[10]

On January 20, 2015, the USPS released solicitation RFI-NGDV for the Next Generation Delivery Vehicle.[18] Potential bidders had until March 5, 2015 to submit comments and pre-qualification responses. The USPS was to then select companies to receive the RFP for prototype development. On February 13, 2015, it was announced that General Motors was actively pursuing this new contract, which would have them provide the USPS with 180,000 new vehicles at a cost of at least $5 billion.[19] On September 22, 2016, the United States Postal Service awarded the NGDV Prototype Contract to six selected suppliers: AM General, Karsan, Mahindra, Oshkosh, Utilimaster, and a joint-venture bid involving Workhorse & VT Hackney. Half of the prototypes will feature hybrid and new technologies, including alternative fuel capabilities. The prototypes will represent a variety of vehicle sizes and drive configurations, in addition to advanced power trains and a range of hybrid technologies.[20]

[DENVERPOPS]

64. Ummmmm

I'm not sure what your comments have to do with the Republicons wanting to wipe out the USPS and give the delivery to UPS and Fedex.........

If anything, the Republicons would say: This is great, we can keep the five billion, AND give private corporations the mail delivery business. Then we will have five billion more to jet-set our Lardass tyrant around to play golf, and attend his rallies.

[underpants]

65. I just meant it as a side note

I find these things very interesting. I really want one but they are hard to find.

[Flaleftist]

69. If it privatizes, I would think Amazon would be the corporation most likely to take its place.

Strange as much as Trump hates Amazon that his actions might make that happen and make them an even larger and more powerful company.